A new container terminal is expected to be built at Sihanoukville Autonomous Port. - PPP
PHNOM PENH (Xinhua): Cambodia's two state-owned ports, Sihanoukville Autonomous Port (PAS) and Phnom Penh Autonomous Port (PPAP), had seen double-digit growth in revenue in 2021 despite the Coivd-19 pandemic, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport said in a report on Thursday (Jan 27).
PAS, the kingdom's largest seaport, earned gross revenue of 373 billion riels (about US$93.2 million) last year, up 17.6 per cent year-on-year, said the report released during the ministry's annual conference.
The listed seaport handled 6.9 million tonnes of containerised cargoes last year, up 6 per cent year-on-year, it added.
Meanwhile, the listed PPAP, the country's second largest container hub, reported total revenue of 138 billion riels ($34.5 million) last year, up 14 per cent year-on-year, the report said, adding that the freshwater port accommodated 4.2 million tonnes of containerised goods, up 13 per cent.
Speaking at the ministry's annual conference, Minister of Public Works and Transport Sun Chanthol attributed the surge in the ports' revenue to the growing import-export activities despite the impact of Covid-19.
"For the Sihanoukville Autonomous Port, we're going to build a new container terminal with a depth of 14.5 metres in order to accommodate large ships," he said.
Work on the new container terminal in the first phase is expected to start in 2022 and to finish in 2025, he said, adding that it is estimated to cost $220 million.
